Blood acetate clearance curve has a biphasic character during the ethanol withdrawal period in ethanol-dependent rats. Blood acetate concentrations remained relatively stable for 15 to 20 hours during which time blood ethanol was removed in a rectilinear fashion. Blood acetate concentrations remained on a plateau at approximately 8 to 9 mg/dl. When blood ethanol concentration decreased to approximately 80 to 50 mg/dl, blood acetate began to decrease very rapidly. The leveling off of the blood acetate concentrations at a plateau suggests that blood acetate concentrations are probably related to the rate of ethanol oxidation. The blood acetate curve of naive rats after a single dose of ethanol had a similar shape to the acetate curve in rats rendered physically dependent on ethanol. Concentrations of acetate similar to those in ethanol dependent rats have been previously found in human alcoholics participating in a free drinking paradigm.